Moreland Theater Building
Why it's listed
Built in 1927 on Buckeye Road in Cleveland, this two-story steel-frame building combines a vaudeville-era theater with shops, offices and apartments. The facade uses tapestry brick with limestone facing and Artstone trim. A broad arched theater entrance is topped by a large Palladian-style window with lion's heads. Inside, the lobby keeps its terrazzo floor and plaster decoration, and the auditorium retains baroque ornament, including original lamps hung from griffin-shaped brackets. Dressing rooms below the stage reflect its vaudeville origins. The theater showed Hollywood and Hungarian films and hosted political rallies, serving the Hungarian community of the Buckeye neighborhood. It closed for lack of business in March 1950 and later reopened with irregular programming, then was remodeled as a dinner theater in 1963. A church moved in during 1978 and made alterations. Neighboring businesses such as a jewelry store and a Hungarian pharmacy anchored the district. Today one store is occupied by a tailor, and the rest of the building is vacant.
Significance in brief: The excerpt describes a largely intact 1920s theater with ornate baroque interiors and original storefronts. The building also served the Hungarian community of the Buckeye neighborhood as a movie house, political meeting hall and commercial center. The significance section is truncated, so the exact criteria rationale is not fully visible.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 11000670, listed September 15, 2011. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 11810-11824 Buckeye Rd., Cleveland |
|---|---|
| County | Cuyahoga County |
| Listed | September 15, 2011 |
| Reference number | 11000670 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and Early 20th Century Revivals |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Entertainment/Recreation, European |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | A tailor shop occupies one store; the remainder of the building is vacant and in fair condition. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Within district | Buckeye Commercial Historic District |
| Coordinates | 41.48059, -81.60025 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 11000670.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q43159576
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.